British Armed Forces Thread

[HMS Astute]

Exercise Red Flag 2014

This year, as well as the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4's from 6 Squadron based at RAF Leuchars, there will also be Tornado GR-4s and an E-3D Sentry from the UK. The Royal Australian Air Force are expected to send F-18s and an E-7. The allied nations will augment and perform alongside a contingent of US aircraft. In 2013, Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft acquitted themselves with flying colours at the event attracting widespread praise for their agility, flexibility and ability to deliver what was described as 'high kinetic' effect. The Eurofighter's Defensive Aids Sub Systems (DASS) and the aircraft's Mission Data were major contributors to the jet's success. "We're pretty much the envy of all the Typhoon pilots back home at the moment," Typhoon pilot Flight Lt. Alex Thorne said. "A lot of people are excited to see what the Typhoon can do, but are really excited to see what our jet can do alongside and against some of the platforms here."

 

[HMS Astute]

'RAF Typhoons whacked India's Sukhois in joint exercises'

https://in.news.yahoo.com/british-typhoons-whacked-indias-sukhois-joint-exercises-085435986.html

 

[HMS Astute]

US deployed three B-52 Stratofortress & two B-2 stealth bombers in UK

Even if the U.S. Air Force has selected three bases for B-2 operations outside the U.S. (RAF Fairford, in UK, Diego Garcia and Andersen AFB at Guam), overseas deployments of the Spirit stealth strategic bombers are quite unusual.

Indeed, B-2s don't move from Whiteman AFB, in Missouri, too often as they are trained to conduct very long round-trip missions from their homebase in CONUS (Continental U.S.), as happened during recent training missions, extended nuclear deterrence sorties in the Korean Peninsula, as well as during real conflicts, as the Libya Air War in 2011 or the Allied Force in Serbia in 1999.

That's why the deployment of two Spirit bombers with the 509th Bomb Wing to the UK is, at least, noteworthy. Obviously, the official press release doesn't mention the rarity of this "short-term deployment," as it only mentions that the "multi-role heavy bombers will conduct training flights in the USEUCOM area of operations, providing opportunities for aircrews to sharpen skills in several key operational sets and become familiar with airbases and operations in the region."

Little is known about this deployment, unlike the other one which involves three B-52s that have arrived at RAF Fairford last week and whose detachment had been exposed by aircrew patches produced ahead of the participation of the Stratofortresses to the Saber Strike and Baltops exercises.

"The training and integration of strategic forces demonstrates to our nation's leaders and our allies that we have the right mix of aircraft and expertise to respond to a variety of potential threats and situations," said Adm. Cecil Haney, commander, U.S. Strategic Command in the release.

For sure, the Russian threat in Europe is taken seriously by the USSTRACOM, that may have decided to deploy some strategic assets closer to Ukraine, more to show the local allies that Washington is capable to support them if needed rather than put some pressure on Moscow.

 

[HMS Astute]

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a sophisticated global operation with a fleet of highly specialised ships owned by the United Kingdoms Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment at sea (RAS). It also transports Army and Royal Marine personnel, as well as supporting training exercises.

The RFA counts a forward repair ship and landing vessels amongst its assets. RFA personnel are members of the Ministry of Defence civil service who wear Merchant Navy rank insignia with naval uniforms and are under naval discipline when the vessel is engaged on warlike operations. RFA vessels are commanded and crewed by these civilians, augmented with regular and reserve Royal Navy personnel to perform specialised military functions such as operating and maintaining helicopters or providing hospital facilities. The RFA is funded out of the UK defence budget and the Commodore commanding the RFA is directly responsible to the Royal Navy Commander-in-Chief Fleet (CINCFLEET).

 

[HMS Astute]

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)

 

[HMS Astute]

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)

 

[HMS Astute]

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)

Four Tide-class tankers (37,000 tonnes) have been ordered, which will replace the remaining Leaf and Rover vessels of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. They will enter service in 2016 with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Royal Navy.

 

[HMS Astute]

BAE Systems Corax

Defense Tech reports on BAE Systems' CORAX Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV), an unmanned fighter with stealth features whose early models look somewhat like the USA's Darkstar technology demonstrator. The US and British armed forces believe these pilotless planes will play an increasingly vital role on 21st Century battlefields.

 

[HMS Astute]

Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS)

The Type 26 Global Combat Ship is a 21st Century warship that will replace the Type 23 frigate as the workhorse of the Fleet, undertaking the Royal Navy's three core roles - warfighting, maritime security and international engagement - on the world stage. The Royal Navy is at the advanced stages of designing a new warship which will be a multi-mission warship designed for joint and multinational operations across the full spectrum of warfare, including complex combat operations, counter piracy, and humanitarian and disaster relief. It will be capable of operating independently for significant periods, or as part of a task group. The work is being developed by Defence Equipment and Support, Navy Command and industry during the programme's assessment phase. The vision is that the planned 13 Type 26 ships will be delivered in both anti-submarine warfare and general purpose variants, sharing a common acoustically quiet hull to shield it from detection by submarines.

 

[HMS Astute]

Royal Air Force receives 9th Voyager aircraft from AirTanker

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has taken delivery of the ninth Voyager aircraft under the future strategic tanker aircraft (FSTA) programme from AirTanker at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, UK. The aircraft completes RAF's "core" fleet of the type, and joins the seven multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) fleet, comprising two two-point capable, five three-point capable tankers at the airbase for use by the RAF. Both versions of Voyager are powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 engines.

 

[HMS Astute]

RAF Flies Typhoons and F-35 together as part of interoperability tests

To assist the UK's Armed Forces in preparing for operating Typhoon and F-35 together in 2018, a series of live simulated mission scenarios are taking place involving the latest standards of F-35 and Typhoon aircraft, according to a news release from BAE.

The latest scenario saw four F-35 aircraft operating alongside two Typhoons and an E3D Sentry, each simulator equipped with the latest representative mission system from the aircraft. The trial was the fourth of its kind linking simulation facilities from multiple UK locations to create a common synthetic environment to evaluate F-35 interoperability with other UK platforms.

In the mission the F-35 aircraft and Typhoons were tasked via digital datalink by the E3D Sentry crew to investigate threats in a defined location. The F-35s first located the threats and then conducted an attack against a range of fixed and moving ground targets. At the same time the Typhoons were tasked by the E3D to engage several hostile air threats. Royal Navy and Royal Air Force pilots flew the four F-35 aircraft from Lockheed Martin supplied desktop simulators at our site in Samlesbury, Lancashire. A Typhoon instructor pilot and one of our test pilots linked in from two Typhoon simulators at RAF Leuchars and two E3D Sentry crew joined the scenario from the Sentry lab at RAF Waddington.

 

[Ray]

What is the latest news on the withdrawal from Afghanistan?

I hope the wounded are not being intimated any more in the hospital by the British Muslims as was being done before and was reported in ARSE.

British soldiers are not evacuated to Military Hospitals and instead are in civil NHS hospitals?

 

[HMS Astute]

What is the latest news on the withdrawal from Afghanistan?

most of our troops have been already pulled out of afghan. there're currently only 9,000 troops left and they'll come home at the end of year, same time as the american forces. a residual force of around 200 troops would remain in the country, training afghan security forces and supporting counterterrorism operations.

https://www.gov.uk/uk-forces-operations-in-afghanistan

War in Afghanistan (2001–present) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

********************************

Thanks

Ray

 

[HMS Astute]

Tornado GR4 with Storm Shadow Cruise Missile

Storm Shadow cruise missile has a range of approximately 500 kilometres (311 mi), is powered by a turbojet at Mach 0.8 and can be carried by the RAF Tornado GR4, Saab Gripen, Italian Tornado IDS, Dassault Mirage 2000 and Dassault Rafale aircraft.[5] Storm Shadow will be integrated with the Eurofighter Typhoon as part of the Phase 2 Enhancement (P2E) in 2015,[6][7] and it will be fitted to the F-35 Lightning II once that aircraft comes into service.[8] The BROACH warhead features an initial penetrating charge to clear soil or enter a bunker, then a variable delay fuze to control detonation of the main warhead. The missile weighs about 1,300 kilograms (2,866 lb), has a maximum body diameter of 48 centimetres (1.6 ft) and a wingspan of 3 metres (9.8 ft). Intended targets are command, control and communications; airfields; ports and power stations; AMS/ammunition storage; ships/submarines in port; bridges and other high-value strategic targets.

 

[HMS Astute]

Trooping The Colour 2014

The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. The first traceable mention of The Sovereign's Birthday being 'kept' by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was ordered that parades should mark the King's Birthday. From the accesssion of George IV they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event.

 

[HMS Astute]

Trooping The Colour 2014

 

[HMS Astute]

Parachute Regiment and 16 Air Assault Brigade

16 Air Assault Brigade (16 Air Asslt Bde) is a formation of the British Army based in Colchester in the county of Essex. It is the Army's rapid response airborne formation and is the only Operational Brigade in the British Army capable of delivering Air Manoeuvre, Air Assault and Airborne operations. It was formed as part of the defence reforms implemented by the Strategic Defence Review on 1 September 1999 by the merging of 24 Airmobile Brigade and elements of 5th Airborne Brigade. This grouping created a highly mobile brigade of parachute units and airmobile units which employ helicopters. It is the only airborne brigade within the British Army, and in line with current Dress Regulations members of parachute regiment wear the maroon beret.

The Parachute Regiment, colloquially known as the Paras, is the Airborne Infantry of the British Army. One battalion is permanently under the command of the Director Special Forces in the Special Forces Support Group. The other battalions are the parachute infantry component of the British Army's rapid response formation 16 Air Assault Brigade. It is the only line infantry regiment that has not been amalgamated with another unit since the end of the Second World War. Members of the Parachute Regiment are often colloquially known to the rest of the army and the British public as the "Paras".

The Parachute Regiment was formed during the Second World War and eventually raised 17 battalions. In Europe, these battalions formed part of the 1st Airborne Division, the 6th Airborne Division and the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade. Another three battalions served with the British Indian Army in India and Burma. The regiment took part in six major parachute assault operations in North Africa, Italy, Greece, France, the Netherlands and Germany, often landing ahead of all other troops. the regular army battalions have taken part in operations in Suez, Cyprus, Borneo, Aden, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan, at times being reinforced by men from the reserve battalion.

 

[HMS Astute]

Parachute Regiment and 16 Air Assault Brigade

 

[HMS Astute]

Parachute Regiment and 16 Air Assault Brigade

 

[HMS Astute]

Parachute Regiment and 16 Air Assault Brigade